And this post marks the official end of our blog event. It's been one wild event and I'd just like to thank everyone who participated on behalf of Precious and myself! Watch out for another massive blog event / project we have in store for you in a few months!
We are going out with a bang! HarperTeen was so awesome that they are sponsoring this last giveaway! Since we featured Apocalypsies and 2012 debut authors on part 2 of, well, part 2, we are giving away 2 awesome debuts/apocalypsies books!
GIVEAWAY TIME!
Finished Copy of Everneath by Brodi Ashton
Finished Copy of Love and Leftovers by Sarah Tregay
US ONLY
So this is the last post for Dystopian Domination 2. We're coming to a close and I must say we had so much fun. But! We are saving the best for last so please welcome Beth Neff!
Wanna find out how it feels when a debut author is anticipating the release of her book? Beth shares to us her thoughts about it!
They say it’s like having a baby – the initial excitement, the long wait, and eventual flurry of pain, relief, exhilaration, and exhaustion. I suppose this is as good a metaphor as any and yet, even though I’ve had four kids of my own, the best preparation I could have had for the experience of writing a book and having it published has been the nearly thirty years I spent as an organic vegetable farmer.
People I knew were pretty surprised when I told them I planned to quit farming, was resigning as manager of the farmers market and director of the not-for-profit I had founded, and that I hoped to become a writer. They were further surprised to discover that I had no intentions of writing about agriculture (at least, not directly!) or sustainability or community planning or any of the other topics I’d devoted my career to so far. What they really couldn’t have known, though – and I didn’t either – was that the experience of farming had, in many unpredicted ways, prepared me well for some of the things I would need to learn as a new author.
Like patience. Is there anyone who truly considers themselves patient? I certainly tried my best to be patient with my kids. And farming is nothing if not an exercise in patience. You know those gorgeous red-ripe tomatoes you love to buy at the farmers market? Well, we farmers plant those seeds in February, nurture baby plants along until they can tolerate the outdoors, weed around them for months, watch them carefully as they ripen, finally bring them to customers a good six months later. And none of this includes the months before spent perusing seed catalogs, selecting varieties, comparing records, crunching numbers, or the previous years dedicated to creating a fertile garden in the first place.
Writing a book is nearly exactly like that. It’s a whole lot of ‘hurry up and wait.’ All of your experiences have collided to create this book in the first place. You’ve spent varying amounts of time getting those perfect words recorded. And you certainly have an idea of what your ultimate goal might be (a published book!) But even once you’ve done the research to determine where to send the manuscript, even after you’ve found an agent and the agent has sold your book to a publisher, there are so many steps along the way and so many chunks of time when you are simply waiting for the process to unfold.
I guess that’s why they call it ‘practicing’ patience.
And still, for all your best efforts in identifying and pursuing all the necessary resources, you really have very little control over the outcome. Some of it certainly comes down to hard work, some of it is timing, and some of it is just simply dumb luck (sort of like the weather.) And though it may be kind of hard to believe, that’s actually a good thing – recognizing that all you can ensure is the integrity of the process, the quality of the relationships built along the way.
In many ways, that’s been the best part of becoming a writer and the part where my farming experience has turned out to be most relevant. It doesn’t matter how perfect that tomato turns out to be if nobody ever picks it up, admires it, savors the lovely flavor. Especially with organic farming, each vegetable is truly a labor of love. It matters who eats it, who shares with you a recipe they used to prepare it, who comes back to find more just like it. And writing is the same way.
Authors care what people think. A book is a special kind of relationship, characterized by the nature of the story, the voice chosen to tell it and the total vulnerability we risk to present it. In the same way that my farmers market customers wanted to be connected to the food they ate and the people who grew it, readers seek stories that will make them feel connected to something larger than themselves, that tell them something about the world of the author, the world as a whole, and, maybe more importantly, something about themselves. I am honored by the opportunity to give that to them. And of course, that’s exactly what authors want too and are willing to go to a whole lot of trouble to get it.
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One of my most favorite posts in our blog event, Beth gives us a great insight on how authors feel whenever their book is ready to come out in the world for all readers to get their hands into. Thank you, Beth!
Sarah, Jenna, Lauren, and Cassie may look like ordinary girls, but they’re not. They’re delinquents whose lives collide when they’re sent to an experimental juvenile detention program on a farm in the middle of nowhere. As the girls face up to the crimes they committed, three of them will heal the wounds of their pasts and discover strengths they never dreamed they had. And one, driven by a deep secret of her own, will seek to destroy everything they’ve all worked so hard for.
Getting Somewhere is published by Viking Childrens Books, released January 19th 2012.
Top Seven Things You (Probably?) Didn't Know About PRETTY CROOKED
7. The original working title was CONFESSIONS OF A TEENAGE OUTLAW.
6. Some aspects of Willa's story are [very] loosely based on The Barefoot Bandit's.
5. Tre was originally named Hector, and then Deron before he became Tre.
4. In the early drafts Willa had a boyfriend from her old school named Max, but poor Max got dumped from the plot.
3. There will be a German language version of PRETTY CROOKED.
2. The Ronaldhino is a real scam.
1. The sequel will be out in March 2013.
So what do you guys think? I think the title Confession of a Teenage Outlaw sounds pretty good too!
Willa’s secret plan seems all too simple: take from the rich kids at Valley Prep and give to the poor ones.
Yet Willa’s turn as Robin Hood at her ultra-exclusive high school is anything but. Bilking her “friends”—known to everyone as the Glitterati—without them suspecting a thing is far from easy. Learning how to pick pockets and break into lockers is as difficult as she’d thought it’d be. Delivering care packages to the scholarship girls, who are ostracized just for being from the “wrong” side of town, is way more fun than she’d expected.
The complication Willa didn’t expect, though, is Aidan Murphy, Valley Prep’s most notorious (and gorgeous) ace-degenerate. His mere existence is distracting Willa from what matters most to her: evening the social playing field between the haves and have-nots. There’s no time for crushes and flirting with boys, especially conceited and obnoxious trust-funders like Aidan.
But when the cops start investigating the string of thefts at Valley Prep and the Glitterati begin to seek revenge, could Aidan wind up being the person that Willa trusts most?
Pretty Crooked will be published by Katherine Tegen Books on March 13th 2012.
GIVEAWAY TIME!
WIN PRETTY CROOKED BOOKMARKS AND STICKERS!
We'll make this giveaway simple, so just give us your thoughts about the book (what do you expect? do you like the cover?) then fill out the form. IT IS OPEN INTERNATIONALLY!
Teri has lived in France, Canada, Australia and England at more addresses than she can count, acquiring three degrees, a selection of passports and a silly name along
the way. The footpaths and canal ways of the Buckinghamshire Chilterns where she now lives inspired much of the setting of Slated. She hates broccoli, likes cats, and has finally worked out what she wants to do when she grows up.
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Your biggest inspiration in writing Slated?
Oh, go on, start with the toughest question first!
Though, when I think about it, writing a story about someone who doesn’t know who they are or where they come from was a natural place for me to go. We moved constantly when I was growing up, and I carried on dashing about the globe when I left home: always trying new things and new places. I think the sense of dislocation I’ve always felt, of not really belonging anywhere, comes out in Kyla.
What do you think is the perfect quote (from Slated) that can describe the book as a whole?
‘But how can I know who I am now, if I don’t know who I was?’
(Kyla to Ben, chapter 23).
I think this encapsulates Kyla’s growing realization of what has been done to her, and the cost of it. Her search for - and fear of - who she was, are central to her story.
What's the future like in Slated? How different is it from the present?
Slated is set in a near future. Decades before it begins, in the 2020’s and 30’s, the UK closed borders and become isolationist after collapse of the EU. Student riots, gangs and terrorists were brutally quashed by a Law and Order Government. But the Lorders had to compromise in a coalition, to give underage criminals and terrorists a second chance and a new life: Slating.
Kyla’s story begins in 2054 England. Mobile phones are illegal to under 21s, there are only 3 channels on TV and unauthorized public assembly is forbidden. Computers and internet use are closely monitored. Teens still live with their parents, go to school, have friends. But they are watched; their lives are controlled. This true for all but particularly so for Slateds like Kyla.
Would you like to be "Slated"?
Definitely not!
Yet…there is a certain attraction to the idea of being able to start over, to have a second chance. Everyone, I’m sure, has moments they wish they could take back, events they’d rather forget than relive in their minds. Decisions they’d like to reverse. Yet you lose everything; it isn’t selective. I’ve never been in a dark enough place to want that.
What are the themes tackled in your novel?
Identity is a big one. Also learning to listen to yourself, to your instincts. Understanding that people are complicated: most of us are good and bad, not just one or the other. And no matter how hopeless things seem or how stacked against you, you still have a voice: you can’t stand by and be quiet when things are wrong.
Who's the character that is the hardest to write? The one you enjoyed writing the most? Do you have a favorite character?
Did you ever base Kyla (or any of your characters) on a real person(s)?
Kyla was my favorite character to write. She is strong, deceptively so, even though she doesn’t always know it. She was also tricky to write in some respects, because she does have different sides. Hidden sides. Especially in the sequel which I’ve just finished writing, but you’ll have to wait until 2013 for that one!
None of my characters are based on real people: they live entirely in my head. They have loud arguments there if I don’t pay enough attention to what they want.
Can you give us one line from your novel that you find important, striking or unforgettable?
I’d like to pick the last two lines of Slated: they are given as two sentences, though they need to be read together. But I can’t possibly quote that here, it would be too much of a spoiler!
Another that really sticks in my mind is the last line of chapter 1: ‘Failure is not an option.’
Imagine being in a position where you can’t make mistakes, where any wrong move could be your last…
Tell us one thing that people do not know about Slated. (A random fact, a weird habit you have developed, etc.)
The prologue was a dream: honest! As soon as I woke up I grabbed a pen and notebook I keep by the side of the bed for these moments, and scribbled it down. It came from some unknown and dark place in my subconscious: the panic, the running. What was this girl running from? Why was someone shouting to never forget who she is? What is the wall she puts up?
It took me a long time to decide if I wanted to go to this strange, dark world, and what would happen there if I did. But eventually I couldn’t stop myself. The voices in my head wouldn’t shut up.
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And have you seen how the cover of Slated became what it was? (A captivating, haunting cover befitting such an intriguing book?) Check out the post at Notes from the Slushpile.
Kyla's memory has been erased, her personality wiped blank, her memories lost forever.
She's been Slated.
The government claims she was a terrorist, and that they are giving her a second chance – as long as she plays by their rules. But echoes of the past whisper in Kyla's mind. Someone is lying to her, and nothing is as it seems. Who can she trust in her search for the truth?
Orchard Books, May 2012
GIVEAWAY TIME!
WIN AN ARC OF SLATED BY TERI TERRY!
The lovely folks over at Hachette UK has given us an ARC to giveaway! You can read Slated 3 months before it's release! This is your chance! And yes, this is OPEN INTERNATIONALLY.
Fill out the form below and the very same question I asked Teri:
Would you like to be Slated? Why or why not? (If you don't know what Slated means, it's a process of wiping out someone's memory and giving that person an entire different identity.)
Okay, so I'm a little late in posting this, but it's a special post!
Please welcome Apocalypsie Tracy Bilen to the blog! It's a one of a kind post! I always loved reading posts where the author interviews her protagonist! Now there's a lot of mystery surrounding Sarah and this is your chance to get to know her even before we all get to read the book!
Interview with Sara from What She Left Behind by Tracy Bilen
Interviewer: What are your hobbies? Sara: I play the E flat clarinet. My brother used to call it the shrunken clarinet.
Interviewer: How about your favorite sport? Sara: Don’t have one. I hate all forms of organized sports.
Interviewer: Don’t you have to play in the band at football games? Sara: That’s right. But I don’t actually watch the game. I stuff a copy of Soap Opera Digest under my uniform to read.
Interviewer: What’s that you’re reading now? Sara: This? It’s a Stephen King book. I like horror. It helps keep things in perspective.
Interviewer: It looks like you wrote something on the front cover. Sara: Me? No. Alex loaned me the book.
Interviewer: Alex? Sara: Yeah, Alex Maloy. He sits next to me in history.
Interviewer: The football player? Sara: Okay , so I may have watched a little bit of the last football game. (Blushes) But this thing with Alex, it’s never going to work out.
Interviewer: Why not? Sara: You swear you won’t tell anyone?
Interviewer: I swear. Sara: It’s not going to work out because I’m not going to be here. Mom and I are getting out of here. We’re leaving Dad.
"Don't even think of leaving...I will find you," he whispered. "Guaranteed."
Sara and her mom have a plan to finally escape Sara's abusive father. But when her mom doesn't show up as expected, Sara's terrified. Her father says that she's on a business trip, but Sara knows he's lying. Her mom is missing--and her dad had something to do with it. Each day that passes, Sara's more on edge. Her friends know that something's wrong, but she won't endanger anyone else with her secret. And with her dad growing increasingly violent, Sara must figure out what happened to her mom before it's too late...for them both.
GIVEAWAY TIME!
WIN A FINISHED COPY OF WHERE SHE LEFT BEHIND BY TRACY BILEN!
And you know what? It's OPEN INTERNATIONALLY! All you need to do is fill out the form and answer the question:
Read the summary for What She Left Behind and tell me what you are excited about in the book! I'd love to hear your thoughts about Tracy's debut novel and it's really one of the books I'd love to read.
And Dystopian Domination continues! What? You think we're finished? No! We're far from over! Oh, and check back tomorrow as we reveal the winners for Part 1 of DD2!
Today we have debut author Heather Burch sharing a little bit about her Angel themed novel, Halflings! Want to read about a bunch of teenage Angels with a constant need to feel the breath of life? Then this book is for you!
Several things inspired me to write Halflings. My two sons were a big factor. They are polar opposites (much like Mace and Raven) and I find it compelling to watch the two handle situations so differently. I guess a part of me wanted to explore that dynamic. One of my boys is a musician, the other is an athlete. Yeah, you can imagine the wars.
Can you tell us something about your main character, Nikki?
She’s a spitfire. Even though she’s a tough girl, she’s really uncertain about the world and her place in it. She doesn’t really feel like she fits … of course, the reader pretty quickly learns that she doesn’t fit into THIS world. But the Halflings introduce her to another world, one she may not want to fit into, but one she inevitably does.
What are the themes tackled in your novel?
The Halflings books are really about sacrifice. Being willing to lay down your life for someone else. I didn’t choose this as a theme. But the subject matter demands it. The Lost Boys are sacrificing for Nikki. Will, the heavenly angel sacrifices for the sake of the Lost Boys. Even Bo, Nikki’s dog makes a supreme sacrifice to protect her from hell hounds. As the stories unfold, Nikki must make some pretty tough decisions—these lead to several sacrificial situations. It’s also about that unstoppable energy—pure love. By the end of book three, readers will have taken a journey that ultimately demonstrates the power and the relentless force of true love.
What is the best thing someone said about your novel?
I’ve had several people tell me they read it in one sitting. That’s golden. I’ve had books I’ve read in one chunk and they are magic when you find them. To me, that’s been the ultimate compliment.
Did you ever base any of your characters on real persons?
The only character that isn’t a compilation of several people I know is Crash. You won’t meet him until book three, but he is based on a young man that was in school with my husband. Crash has earned his name, and when you get to that book, you’ll understand why! He makes me smile every time I think of him!
Can you give us one line from your novel that you find important, striking or unforgettable?
Sure!
“Raven,” Nikki whispered, tilting closer. “Thanks for teaching me how to destroy you.”
“Anytime.”
That was the funnest scene to write! In fact, before I began book two, I kept saying to myself, “I have to find a way to incorporate more scenes like the one in the woods where Raven is teaching Nikki how to fight supernatural enemies. So far, it’s been a fan favorite as well.”
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I laughed out loud when I've read that line! Definitely unforgettable. The best part is, this is only the first book in a trilogy! Thanks Heather for letting us host you on our blog today!
After being inexplicably targeted by an evil intent on harming her at any cost, seventeen-year-old Nikki finds herself under the watchful guardianship of three mysterious young men who call themselves halflings. Sworn to defend her, misfits Mace, Raven, and Vine battle to keep Nikki safe while hiding their deepest secret—and the wings that come with.
A growing attraction between Nikki and two of her protectors presents a whole other danger. While she risks a broken heart, Mace and Raven could lose everything, including their souls. As the mysteries behind the boys’ powers, as well as her role in a scientist’s dark plan, unfold, Nikki is faced with choices that will affect the future of an entire race of heavenly beings, as well as the precarious equilibrium of the earthly world.
Halflings came out Feb 1st and is published by Zondervan.
WIN A FINISHED COPY OF HALFLINGS BY HEATHER BURCH!
The contest is Open to EVERYONE! Here's your chance to read about three (or is it four?) mischievous Angels who's got a knack for saving people and pissing off each other every single time.
Fill out the form below and answer this question:
The guys in Halflings crave for The Breath of Life. What is the one thing you constantly crave for and/or can't live without?
Today is the kick off of our Apocalypsies and Debut authors leg for Dystopian Domination. Technically it's not DD anymore but hey! Debut authors! 2012 authors! Apocalypsies!~ Here they come!
Today we have debut author Robin Bridges to talk about her debut novel, The Gathering Storm! Welcome Robin to the blog!
Please describe The Gathering Storm in one sentence.
In 1880’s Imperial Russia, young Katerina of Oldenburg hides a dangerous secret: she can raise the dead.
How much research have you done for The Gathering Storm? How difficult is it to write a book set during Czarist Russia/Russian Empire? Why Czarist Russia?
I’ve always been fascinated with Russian history, thanks to my great-grandparents. I researched and read a TON of Russian history books for this trilogy! It was difficult because even with the wealth of information I have, there are so many Russian history books and Romanov diaries that are only available in Russian. I wish I could read and speak Russian!
Did you ever base any of your characters on real person(s)?
Several of the characters in TGS are based on real Romanovs, who alas, were not actually fairies or blood drinkers. Evgenia of Leuchtenberg really existed, as well as her husband the Duke of Oldenburg and her son Petya. But the Oldenburgs did not have a daughter, so Katerina is completely fictional.
What is the best thing that a reviewer (or someone) said about your novel?
“Bridges could become a worthy successor to Libba Bray with this historical fantasy. Her lush settings, secret rituals, and paranormal creatures make for an atmospheric political adventure… Katiya is a strong female hero whose further adventures are worth following.” - Voya
Can you give us one line from your novel that you find important, striking or unforgettable?
Militza smiled. “Necromancy is the most vile, the darkest of the black arts, Duchess. Certainly you cannot think the tsarina could allow one such as you to remain under her roof? Or indeed, even to continue attending Smolny?”
She had me trapped in her web. “What do you want from me?” I whispered.
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I was certainly teased by that line. I wonder why? I am DYING to read this book! And fabulous answers, Robin!
St. Petersburg, Russia, 1888. As she attends a whirl of glittering balls, royal debutante Katerina Alexandrovna, Duchess of Oldenburg, tries to hide a dark secret: she can raise the dead. No one knows. Not her family. Not the girls at her finishing school. Not the tsar or anyone in her aristocratic circle. Katerina considers her talent a curse, not a gift. But when she uses her special skill to protect a member of the Imperial Family, she finds herself caught in a web of intrigue.
An evil presence is growing within Europe's royal bloodlines—and those aligned with the darkness threaten to topple the tsar. Suddenly Katerina's strength as a necromancer attracts attention from unwelcome sources . . . including two young men—George Alexandrovich, the tsar's standoffish middle son, who needs Katerina's help to safeguard Russia, even if he's repelled by her secret, and the dashing Prince Danilo, heir to the throne of Montenegro, to whom Katerina feels inexplicably drawn.
The time has come for Katerina to embrace her power, but which side will she choose—and to whom will she give her heart?
The Gathering Storm came out January 10th, published by Delacorte Books for Young Readers.
WIN A SIGNED FINISHED COPY OF THE GATHERING STORM + SWAG PACK BY ROBIN BRIDGES!
That's right. For those of you who haven't read it yet (including me) you'll have a chance to win a copy of the book and some cool The Gathering Storm swag. And yes! This is OPEN INTERNATIONALLY! Go enter the contest now by filling out the form and answering this question:
If you have the power to raise the dead, will you consider bringing someone back to life? Who and why?
And with this post marks the last day of Part 1 of our Dystopian Domination giveaway!
We've had so much fun featuring the dystopian books and their authors and we hope you all had fun too! Check out the list below for the wonderful posts and giveaways! You can still enter and win!
The prize will be sent by the publisher, so it’s only open to US residents. If you have someone in the US who can receive books for you, then you may enter. Sorry! Publisher request! :)
This form and the form at Fragments of Life is the same, so you only need to enter once!
And this isn't really required, but if you want, please leave a comment on which feature/book/author interview you liked the most and why. We'd like to know what you guys think so we can improve the event the next time!
The prize pack includes these AWESOME DYSTOPIAN books:
Finished copy of Incarnate by Jodi Meadows Finished copy of Under the Never Sky by Veronica Rossi Finished copy of Shatter Me by Tahereh Mafi
AHA! You think we're finished with Dystopian Domination 2? No!
Today we have a fabulous author whose book created massive waves last year, with her HIGHLY impressive debut! Welcome Susan Ee as our last author for the Dystopian authors leg for our blog event. After this, watch out for the Apocalypsies!
Susan Ee is the author of Angelfall (Penryn & the End of Days, Book 1). Her short stories have been in various publications including Realms of Fantasy and The Dragon and the Stars anthology. She is also a filmmaker whose latest film played at major film festivals and on cable TV stations throughout the U.S. She studied creative writing through workshops at Stanford, The Iowa Writers' Workshop and Clarion West.
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I bought, read and reviewed Angelfall in my blog a few weeks ago and here's an excerpt if you are interested:
"Susan Ee presents the readers a new face of the apocalypse. Dangerous, dark to the point of hopelessness. The author was able to draw a dreadful and horrific landscape, a great backdrop for a great set of dynamic characters and very engaging storyline.
I can't really put it into this words but Angelfall is one of the best books I've read in 2011, hands down. It brought back my faith in self-published books, seeing how well-made this one is.
There's tons of action, spine-chilling scenes and heart aching romance. And the plot will just wow you into oblivion. Angelfall will sweep you into a tide of emotions, excitement, fear, hope, love. Susan Ee will make you feel a roller coaster of emotions as she takes you into one astounding ride of a story."
It's been six weeks since angels of the apocalypse descended to demolish the modern world. Street gangs rule the day while fear and superstition rule the night. When warrior angels fly away with a helpless little girl, her seventeen-year-old sister Penryn will do anything to get her back.
Anything, including making a deal with an enemy angel.
Raffe is a warrior who lies broken and wingless on the street. After eons of fighting his own battles, he finds himself being rescued from a desperate situation by a half-starved teenage girl.
Traveling through a dark and twisted Northern California, they have only each other to rely on for survival. Together, they journey toward the angels' stronghold in San Francisco where she'll risk everything to rescue her sister and he'll put himself at the mercy of his greatest enemies for the chance to be made whole again.
We are winding down to just a few dystopian authors to be featured for DD2. But hey, who says that's the end of this event? Watch out for DD2 Part 2, where we will be featuring Apocalypsies!
I have read Memento Nora, the first book in the series and I tell you IT IS AWESOME. It's one of my favorite 2011 reads and I am so excited for the sequel, The Forgetting Curve to hit the shelves soon! Today we have Velvet, a character from The Forgetting Curve. It's always interesting to know the thoughts of the characters outside the book, so... READ ON!
The Forgetting Curve is a sequel to Memento Nora, but the story is told from the point of view of a few new or newish characters, including Winter’s best friend (whom you met briefly in the first book), Velvet Kowalcyk. (The other points of views are from Winter and her cousin, Aiden.)
When I asked Velvet if I could interview her for this blog post, her response was typical Velvet:
“Don’t give yourself away. Book of Velvet. Chapter 23, Verse 3. Not for free at least.”
As you can see, Velvet is a regular little Sun Tzu. (You know, the ancient Chinese philosopher-general who wrote the Art of War. Yeah, that guy.) In fact, I think she stole the above pearl of “sagiosity” from him, sort of. Velvet sees life as a battle and ascribes to her wisdom to her unwritten, ever-growing tome, the Book of Velvet. Even her friends call it that. So I thought I’d share a few of the other chapters and verses from this work-in-progress:
Do not wear fishnet stockings and a boiled wool skirt to a dank garage. Or any garage. In June. Book of Velvet. Chapter 47, Verse 233.
Do not run. Book of Velvet. Chapter 3, Verse 12. Not from or toward anything.
Don’t talk to fools when you’re still mad at them. Or yourself. Book of Velvet. Yada, yada, yada.
When a cute rich guy asks you to hang out, be worried if he shows up with an antenna made out of a potato chip can. Book of Velvet.
Do not volunteer for something until you’re sure it doesn’t include manual labor. Book of Velvet.
When you don’t know what to say, do not scream something self-centered and lame. Book of Velvet. New chapter. New verse.
A girl can’t wait for Prince Charming to rescue her ass or save the universe. Book of Velvet. Last Chapter. Last Verse.
Hope that gives you a little taste of Velvet. If you want to know more about The Forgetting Curve (and the character of Aiden Nomura), please check out the Memento Nora book site (http://www.mementonora.com/the-forgetting-curve.) I’ll be adding more info about the new book, including an excerpt very soon.
Aiden Nomura likes to open doors—especially using his skills as a hacker—to see what’s hidden inside. He believes everything is part of a greater system: the universe. The universe shows him the doors, and he keeps pulling until one cracks open. Aiden exposes the flaw, and the universe—or someone else—will fix it. It’s like a game.
Until it isn’t.
When a TFC opens in Bern, Switzerland, where Aiden is attending boarding school, he knows things are changing. Shortly after, bombs go off within quiet, safe Bern. Then Aiden learns that his cousin Winter, back in the States, has had a mental breakdown. He returns to the US immediately.
But when he arrives home in Hamilton, Winter’s mental state isn’t the only thing that’s different. The city is becoming even stricter, and an underground movement is growing.
Along with Winter’s friend, Velvet, Aiden slowly cracks open doors in this new world. But behind those doors are things Aiden doesn’t want to see—things about his society, his city, even his own family. And this time Aiden may be the only one who can fix things... before someone else gets hurt.
GIVEAWAY TIME! WIN A SIGNED ARC OF THE FORGETTING CURVE!
The giveaway, as usual, is Open INTERNATIONALLY! And hey, it's signed! How awesome is that?
When you fill out the form, don't forget to answer the question Angie herself has thought of!
Answer this:If you had your own Book of Velvet (or Book of [insert your name here]), what would be in it?
Okay, what day is it for Dystopian Domination 2? Have you had enough of the awesome prizes we are giving away and the lovely authors we are featuring? No? Well check out what we have in store for you today!
I have just finished reading The Hunt and I guarantee you, it's awesome!
Seventeen-year-old Gene struggles to survive in a society where humans have been eaten to near extinction by the general population. When Gene is chosen to participate in the government-sponsored hunt for the remaining humans, he must learn the art of the hunt but also elude his fellow hunters whose suspicions about his true human nature are growing.
The Hunt comes out May 8th 2012 by Simon & Schuster (UK) and St. Martin's Press (US) Go pre-order you copy at: Amazon | Book Depository
But of course it doesn't stop there. We have a giveaway for all of you!
GIVEAWAY TIME! WIN AN ARC OF THE HUNT BY ANDREW FUKUDA!
Good news! Thanks to the lovely people at S&S UK, we have 1 copy of The Hunt to give away. And guess what? This contest is OPEN INTERNATIONALLY! You'll get to read The Hunt almost 4 months before the release date. How about that?
Answer this question : Would you rather be a vampire or be a Heper? Why?
You must answer the question so your entries will count!
It's day... uh, I've lost track. What day is it for our Dystopian Domination blog event? :)
How fitting is this book to my blog? Stormdancer is Japanese inspired and based on Japanese mythology, and Amaterasu (from my blog's title) is the Japanese Sun Goddess!
One of the most awesome authors I've had a chance to talk to, we are featuring Jay Kristoff on our blog today! He'll be talking a little bit about his upcoming book, Stormdancer, and basically just being awesome while doing so.
People call STORMDANCER a Japanese Steampunk novel, but it’d be less like lying to say that Stormdancer is Japanese-inspired. It’s set in an island empire called Shima (Japanese for ‘island’). The customs, language and culture are inspired by Japan’s samurai age, but they have contraptions like air-ships and chainsaw katanas, the sky is choked with pollution, and animal life on the island has been virtually extinguished. Shima is a dystopia, with a capital D. No fluffy squirrels or cuddly bunnies here, friends.
So how does mythology tie into this dying land? I based the religion in Stormdancer on Shinto, a religion in ancient Japan that’s made of awesome. The most important Shinto story is the myth of Lord Izanagi and Lady Izanami – the great maker gods with the easily confused names. Izanagi and Izanami were in wuuuuv, but Izanami died giving birth to the world (and yes, I imagine that would be quite painful). Izanagi went to the underworld to reclaim her, but she’d become corrupted by the darkness (no, not that kind, the other kind). Izanagi fled, and in a rage, Izanami vowed that she’d kill a thousand people every day to punish her husband for leaving her. To which he replied, “Then I will give life to fifteen hundred.” Snap.
Now sure, on the surface STORMDANCER is a story about a girl who can speak to animals, and her friendship with the last griffin left alive. But underneath, Shinto mythology (particularly the tale of Izanagi and Izanami) is at the heart of the series. I had to figure out how the other gods of Shinto would fit into a dystopia too – how would people feel about the Sun Goddess Amaterasu, for example, when the sun is bright enough to barbeque your eyes if you look at it with your naked eye? Or Tsukiyomi, the Moon God, when the pollution is so dense you can’t even see the stars at night? It was a lot of fun figuring out the answer to these questions, and creating a brand new world that’s interwoven with a mythology that’s thousands of years old.
But now I’m running over-length, so as to exactly how it all fits together, I guess you’ll have to read the book to find out
A DYING LAND
The Shima Imperium verges on the brink of environmental collapse; decimated by clockwork industrialization and the machine-worshipers of the Lotus Guild. The skies are red as blood, land choked with toxic pollution, wildlife ravaged by mass extinctions.
AN IMPOSSIBLE QUEST
The hunters of Shima's imperial court are charged by their Shōgun to capture a thunder tiger – a legendary beast, half-eagle, half-tiger. But any fool knows thunder tigers have been extinct for more than a century, and the price of failing the Shōgun is death.
A SIXTEEN YEAR OLD GIRL
Yukiko is a child of the Fox clan, possessed of a hidden gift that would see her executed by the Lotus Guild. Accompanying her father on the Shōgun’s hunt, she finds herself stranded: a young woman alone in Shima’s last wilderness, with only a furious, crippled thunder tiger for company. Even though she can hear his thoughts, even though she saved his life, all she knows for certain is he’d rather see her dead than help her.
But together, the pair will form an indomitable friendship, and rise to challenge the might of an empire.
Stormdancer comes out September 1st 2012 and is published by St Martin’s Press (US) & Tor (UK)
Preorder your copy now on: BOOK DEPOSITORY
GIVEAWAY TIME!
WIN A SIGNED ARC OF STORMDANCER!
Yes, you can! And it'll be signed! And it's also open internationally!
All you need to do is fill out the form and then answer this simple question:
Place yourself into Stormdancer's world. You're in Shima. If you were a Japanese God / Goddess, who would you like to be and why?
Genre labels are funny things. In theory, they exist so that people who like certain types of books can find more of that kind of book. Like GRACELING? Read some other fantasy. Love TWILIGHT? Grab more paranormal romances. But because few genres have a widely agreed-upon definition, and those definitions are often shifting based on trends and reader enthusiasm, sometimes they just make the reading experience more confusing.
I'd say I'm reasonably qualified to talk about this, because my upcoming novel, THE WAY WE FALL, has been most frequently labeled as a dystopian, though that's not how I think of it at all.
A dystopia is usually defined as a future society which is set up in a way that at least some of the inhabitants consider to be ideal, but which is actually terribly flawed. A classic example of this is Lois Lowry's THE GIVER, and recent novels that fit the definition include Suzanne Collins' THE HUNGER GAMES and Veronica Roth's DIVERGENT. Often these books also include characters realizing how flawed their society is and attempting to change it.
As the dystopian genre surged in popularity with the publication of THE HUNGER GAMES trilogy, the publishing definition of the term has expanded. A lot of the books selling as "dystopians" focus not on some brand new society, but on the ruins of our current one. A horrible catastrophe has destroyed normal life, and the characters are struggling just to stay alive and maybe pick up the pieces, as in Ilsa J. Bick's ASHES and the GONE series by Michael Grant. These sort of books I'd usually call "post-apocalyptic." There are certainly some dystopians that take place after an apocalypse of sorts, and both genres involve unpleasant futures, so I understand the cross-labeling. But not all dystopians follow a disaster, and not all stories about the after effects of a disaster involve a dystopia.
And occasionally stories that aren't quite either of these things are being considered dystopian as well. Take THE WAY WE FALL. When I was submitting it to agents, I referred to it as a "survival story." The deal announcement calls it as a "contemporary dystopian," which was intended to convey that it includes elements common in many dystopian/post-apocalyptic books, but is set in the present day. If I was going to get really specific about it, I'd say technically the best term would be straight out "apocalyptic." There is no ideal society, and it's not post any apocalypse--its the chronicling of the disaster itself, rather than the aftermath. (In the sequels the lines get a little more blurry, I'll admit.)
The fact that so many novels skim over the apocalypse and focus on what happens when it's over is part of what inspired me to write THE WAY WE FALL in the first place. I wanted to explore that fascinating in-between time, when everything is changing and the characters have no idea when or how it'll end. To be honest, though, I don't worry much about how my or other books are labeled, as long as the general sense is right. If readers want a clearer idea of what the story's about, that's what the book descriptions are for. Mainly I just hope people will enjoy the story I wanted to tell, regardless of what genre they call it!
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How is that for a guest post? I'd love how they call The Way We Fall... a 'contemporary dystopian', because the book certainly feels that way. It's a perfect term to capture what the book is really about.
It starts with an itch you just can't shake. Then comes a fever and a tickle in your throat. A few days later, you'll be blabbing your secrets and chatting with strangers like they’re old friends. Three more, and the paranoid hallucinations kick in.
And then you're dead.
When a deadly virus begins to sweep through sixteen-year-old Kaelyn’s community, the government quarantines her island—no one can leave, and no one can come back.
Those still healthy must fight for dwindling supplies, or lose all chance of survival. As everything familiar comes crashing down, Kaelyn joins forces with a former rival and discovers a new love in the midst of heartbreak. When the virus starts to rob her of friends and family, she clings to the belief that there must be a way to save the people she holds dearest.
Because how will she go on if there isn't?
The Way We Fall comes out January 24, 2012, released by Disney Hyperion. Buy your copy at Amazon!
GIVEAWAY TIME! WIN A FINISHED COPY OF THE WAY WE FALL BY MEGAN CREWE!
Yep, we are giving away a finished copy! And yes, this is OPEN INTERNATIONALLY! Make sure to answer the question below or your entries will not count!
The Question: Put yourself into Kaelyn's position. At what lengths are you willing to go to in order to survive in a quarantined island?
It's the sixth day of our blog event, Dystopian Domination!
Today we have Susan Kaye Quinn talking about what "Dystopia" means for her. Susan's got a great insight about the genre, which is the main theme of this blog event, so it's worth taking a look. Enjoy!
I have always read dystopian novels, before they were a popular thing (recently in young adult novels), and before I even really thought of “dystopia” as a label. I just called the futuristic tales of mind-bending alternate realities that I loved “science fiction.”
Stories like I, Robot by Asimov (originally published in 1950), one of the first stories that made me really think about what it meant to be human. A recurring theme of the science fiction of my youth was to examine humanity through the lens of a not-human character (in this case a robot), and I soaked stories like this up, filling my spongy adolescent brain with concepts like the Three Laws of Robotics. Asimov’s Foundation series similarly blew my mind with the idea that mathematical predictions of the future couldn’t guarantee a utopia, as long as the flawed nature of humanity still existed. This is where I first understood the term “dystopia” as what usually happened when humans tried to monkey with society to make it “better.”
What I loved about these stories was that they were thought experiments. They took an idea and ran with it, playing it out into the future. What if robots really became sentient? What if we could really predict the future? Not only did I enjoy the mental gymnastics that went with these (usually cautionary) tales, I felt like they were the “equipment for living” that Kenneth Burke speaks of. I used these stories to form my young adult thoughts about the future—what it should be, and what it should not.
Many people call my novel Open Minds a dystopia, although I didn’t think of it explicitly as that when I was writing it. I thought more in terms of these classic SF stories that have long filled my head. I wanted to take one thing—what if everyone really could read minds?—and play it out. I shouldn’t have been surprised when it turned into an exploration of how the circumstances of the world may change, but human beings fundamentally remain the same.
I think this is the understructure of the current dystopian craze—classical science fiction, retooled for our modern era and sensibilities. Some say the dystopian stories of today are a bleak reflection of our post-911 world, a mirror held up to our fears of environmental disasters, terrorism, and pandemic. I think the world we live in is complex, dangerous, and at times horrifying. I think it also shines with the radiance of aid flowing to natural disasters, soldiers building schools, and an increasing intolerance of hatred as an ideology. This complicated world is rekindling a need for the kinds of thought experiments found in dystopian stories, rather than the world actually spiraling into the abyss.
And I don’t think the dystopian stories of today are any more dismal than the classic stories of the past. Some may be bleak (Forest of Hands and Teeth), but there’s almost always a thread of hope (Across the Universe). Because even when things are dire, even though evil may grip our world, there is always someone who will rebel against the wrongness and attempt to set it right. Hope is a fundamental part of what it means to be human, and stories that forge hope out of the most difficult situations will always be compelling.
When everyone reads minds, a secret is a dangerous thing to keep.
Sixteen-year-old Kira Moore is a zero, someone who can’t read thoughts or be read by others. Zeros are outcasts who can’t be trusted, leaving her no chance with Raf, a regular mindreader and the best friend she secretly loves. When she accidentally controls Raf’s mind and nearly kills him, Kira tries to hide her frightening new ability from her family and an increasingly suspicious Raf. But lies tangle around her, and she’s dragged deep into a hidden world of mindjackers, where having to mind control everyone she loves is just the beginning of the deadly choices before her.
Open Minds is now out in Paperback on Amazon and available as an ebook on Smashwords.
WIN A COPY OF OPEN MINDS BY SUSAN KAYE QUINN!
Grab the chance to read this book! I will be posting my review in a few and I can tell you that it's good! It's open to international participants since it's an e-book.
Answer this question:If you can read the mind of just one person, who would it be and why? (Answer this or your entries will not count! I will check!)
